Newcastle Knights 2016 season in review

"It can't get much worse".

After finishing 2015 with the wooden spoon, Newcastle headed into a new season with a renewed sense of optimism that after the ‘rock bottom' of finishing behind the other 15 NRL teams, a change for the better was ahead.

How wrong they were.

From their opening hit out against the Raiders in Orange to their final clash against the Dragons, the Knights were off the pace in almost every facet of the game. Losing over 1000 games experience over the off-season, new coach Nathan Brown made his presence felt immediately with a focus on developing youth and investing in local talents. After years of vying for the lower half of the top eight with a single preliminary final appearance to show for their efforts, the decision to rebuild the club from the group up appeared to go over well with supporters, but with a poorly managed salary cap looming over after the calamitous Nathan Tinkler reign, the Knights were not only hamstrung by their lack of experience on the field, but also their ability to attract player to fill the void left by the departures of Kurt Gidley and Beau Scott.

Among the fresh faces to join the former Dragons mentor, representative playmaker Trent Hodkinson (Bulldogs) was seen as the experienced head needed to direct play, while forwards Mickey Paea (Hull FC) and Pauli Pauli (Eels) were expected to provide much-needed impact and aggression to an often dominated forward pack. On top of the losses of Gidley (Warrington), Scott (Eels) and Tyrone Roberts (Titans), forwards Clint Newton and David Fa'alogo opted to retire, while Chris Houston (Widnes), Adam Clydesdale and Joe Tapine (both Raiders) all took up contracts elsewhere after falling out of favour with coach Brown during pre-season training.

Facing off against wooden spoon favourites the Gold Coast in the opening round, the Knights looked to start off with a bang following the move to blood five rookies in the opening fixture, however the new-look Titans produced a strong performance to run out 30-12 winners. In the following weeks a series of mixed showings made it difficult to gauge the teams progress; a deplorable showing against the Rabbitohs was followed by a come from behind draw against the Raiders, a poor second half in Auckland was followed by a narrow loss to the Storm, the clubs lone win against the Tigers preceded a half-century shutout against the Broncos. A run of losses for the rest of the season followed, but between the thrashings, the young Knights showed signs of character to challenge the likes of Canberra, Melbourne and Canterbury in a sign better days lay ahead. Finishing the season with 18 consecutive losses, the Knights looked to send retiring skipper Jeremy Smith out a winner in his final game at Kogarah, only for a last-minute penalty to cruel their hopes as they plummeted to the worst season by a club since 1993, with just a solitary win and draw at the end of 26 rounds.

Turning point

With a series of mixed showings during the opening month, the Knights appeared destined to avoid their final standing, but between rounds 7-10 the side conceded 179 points, while being held scoreless against Brisbane, Sydney and Cronulla. To add insult, a hamstring tear to Jarrod Mullen during the ANZAC Day clash against rivals Manly ruled the experienced playmaker out for ten weeks, forcing the likes of Brock Lamb and Jack Cogger into the NRL side before their time. Outmatched by every opponent, the promise of avoiding back-to-back wooden spoons quickly evaporated as the side was unable to match strides due to inexperience.

What worked

For all the disappointment Newcastle supporters had to endure over the course of 2016, the commitment of fans to consistently turn up at Hunter Stadium saw the side produce their best performances of the season. Buoyed by a vocal group of supporters, the side received a standing ovation at halftime against Melbourne despite trailing, only going down narrowly in a gallant performance. Similarly, the development of younger players throughout the year looked to validate Nathan Brown's short-term pain approach, as the likes of Daniel and Jacob Safitit, Josh King and mid-season recruit Mitchell Barnett all finished the year as regular first graders.

What didn't work

Defensively the side experienced a horrific campaign conceding 800 points, while their performance with the football managed a measly 305 points across 24 matches. While the move to invest in younger players with the intent of long-term success has proven to be an approach the Panthers have benefitted from, the same tactics may take a while to come to fruition for Newcastle supporters. Ultimately a lack of go-forward brought on by the long-term absence of experience campaigners Kade Snowden and Robbie Rochow also cruelled the side severely.

Best Players

Left out of the sides opening round loss, outside back Nathan Ross made immediate amends to finish 2016 as the clubs leading try-scorer, while claiming the coveted coaches award to boot. At 27 years of age, the dynamic winger was a constant force for the struggling side with his energy and enthusiasm garnering a tremendous following from teammates and supporters alike. Spending time in the centres mid-season, Ross almost single-handedly beat the Eels on a chilly Monday night at Hunter Stadium, while his acrobatic effort to score against the Dragons rated among the best four-pointers of the season. Others to impress included rookie twin towers Daniel and Jacob Safiti who finished the season as the form front rowers at the club, while teenage prodigy Sione Mata'utia took a major step towards realising the potential that saw him represent the Kangaroos after just seven NRL matches. After starting the season in Holden Cup, the youngest of the Mata'utia clan made a mid-year move to the forwards that looks to be the way of the future for the club.

Rookies

With so much investment in youth throughout the season, 11 players made their first grade debuts in 2016 in a positive move towards building a successful squad for years to come. Among the pick of the crop, the 20-year-old Safiti twins showed themselves to be stars of the future, while 18-year-old Cory Dennis bagged a brace of tries on debut to indicate his intentions of filling the void left by the forced retirement of veteran James McManus. 21-year-old prop Josh King also showed his dedication by balancing work in the mines with a series of barnstorming appearances to earn a contract extension. Others to impress in their first season include former Under 20s playmakers Jack Cogger and Brock Lamb, who have been earmarked as long-term prospects, while Pat Mata'utia showed his versatility in the backs and forwards respectively.

Lower Grades round up

Intrust Super Premiership

After claiming the Intrust Super Premiership last season, the Knights reserve grade squad endured a season on par with the NRL side, claiming two wins from 25 matches to finish dead last. With a number of seasoned campaigners departing following the grand final win, as well as the over-reliance on younger players to step up to first grade, the side was forced to regularly field players from the local Newcastle Rugby League competition to fill the void.

Holden Cup - Under 20s

In stark contrast to the NRL and ISP sides, the Knights Holden Cup season finished just outside the finals with a 10th placed finish. With seven first graders eligible for the Under 20s competition in 2016, the Knights may well have forced their way into the finals had the likes of Jack Cogger, Brock Lamb and the Safiti twins been available, but in a silver lining for the club the hard knocks suffered during the year should prove beneficial in years to come.

2017 Chances

Having endured the worst season of any club in the NRL era the Knights will surely improve and with a further 12 months under his belt, coach Nathan Brown should have the side on the up. Celebrating their 30th campaign Novocastrians can expect more wins in 2017, but whether they'll be good enough to avoid a third wooden spoon remains to be seen.

One thing's for sure: "It will only get better".

Best lineup for next season

(based on current signings)

1. Dane Gagai
2. Ken Sio
3. Nathan Ross
4. Peter Mata'utia
5. Brendan Elliot
6. Brock Lamb
7. Trent Hodkinson (C)
8. Daniel Safiti
9. Jarrod Mullen
10. Korbin Sims
11. Sione Mata'utia
12. Jamie Buhrer
13. Rory Kostjasyn

14. Josh King
15. Danny Levi
16. Jacob Safiti
17. Mitchell Barnett